REVIEW: Snow Leopard Server Provides Powerful Feature Updates

Mac OS X Server Snow Leopard deserves a top spot on IT managers' evaluation list for system updates in creative departments where Macs predominate. Snow Leopard Server could be considered for general enterprise deployment, but its built-in creative and communications functions make the operating system best suited for use where high-value content is produced. Of note are the updates to the Podcast Producer, Wiki and Mobile Access components.

It was easy to miss the release of the server version of Apple's Snow
Leopard amid all the hoopla over the client version, but Mac OS X Server Snow
Leopard deserves attention.
While the client release of Snow Leopard was primarily a 64-bit engineering
refresh (see my review here),
Snow Leopard Server is focused on features. IT managers should put Snow Leopard
Server on their short-term evaluation list when considering system updates in
creative departments where Mac systems predominate.

Snow Leopard Server started shipping on Aug. 28 and costs $499 with
unlimited client licenses. It is licensed to run only on Mac hardware. For my
tests, I used a newly minted Xserve running two quad-core Intel Xeon 5540
processors and 6GB of RAM. I also tested the
OS on an older Intel Xeon-based Mac Pro.
Snow Leopard Server could be considered for general enterprise deployment,
but its built-in creative and communications functions make the operating
system best suited for deployment where high-value content is produced.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the second-generation enhancements I
saw in the Podcast Producer, Wiki and Mobile Access components included with
Snow Leopard Server.
The Podcast Producer 2 workflow in Snow Leopard Server is presented in a
seven-step process that takes much of the complex, command-line work out of
creating and publishing podcasts. My work with Podcast Producer 2 showed that
even an IT person without much experience with technical creative applications
can get the workflow set up and working correctly the first time through the
system's wizard.
Also new in Podcast Producer 2 is the ability to use dual inputs, combining
camera and screen content.
I used a MacBook Pro running the client version of Snow Leopard to easily
create podcasts using the included Podcast Capture utility. Using screen
capture and the computer's camera was a surprisingly simple operation. Podcast
Capture on my MacBook then easily found and connected to the Podcast Producer 2
server component.
From start to finish, my first simple podcast was completed in less than 10
minutes. Integrating material from other sources, including Windows-based
machines, is possible but not nearly as simple as when I used the MacBook.
Wiki Server 2 adds Quick Look and iPhone support to the group collaboration
component in Snow Leopard Server. For IT administrators, the full integration
of Wiki Server 2 access controls with an organization's existing directory
means reduced maintenance overhead. A single change in the directory will
enable and deny users access to the wiki platform when they come into and leave
an organization, respectively.
Apple added a cool way to preview content in the wiki called Quick Look, a
feature I talked about in my Snow Leopard client review. Basically, a user can
hover over content produced by a variety of widely used applications-including
Microsoft Office apps, Apple iWorks apps, Adobe Acrobat and QuickTime-and see a
preview of the content. All of this happens without downloading the content.
There is new support for collaboration when the wiki is accessed from an
iPhone. Templates in the Wiki component make it possible for users to log in
and, among other things, view confidential wiki pages, track content updates,
tag pages and view comments from an iPhone.
In addition to adding iPhone access to the Wiki Server 2 component, Apple
has significantly improved the components used to enable outside access to Snow
Leopard Server. While VPN access is still supported, new in Snow Leopard Server
is Mobile Access Server. Mobile Access Server is basically a reverse proxy that
enables remote secure file access for devices that are connected over the
Internet. As with Wiki Server 2, the Mobile Access Server component integrates
with an organization's existing directory service for authentication and even
single sign-on support. (I used a Windows Server 2003 system running Active
Directory to provide directory services.)
In Mac-oriented shops and departments, the new Address Book Server component
in Snow Leopard Server will be a productivity booster. Address Book Server uses
CardDAV, which is a protocol for contact information exchange.
It's important to note that Apple provided integrated support for Microsoft
Exchange Server in the Snow Leopard client. For organizations that want to
standardize contact use without putting the widely used Microsoft Exchange
Server, or a rigid LDAP-based directory offering, at the heart of the solution,
the Address Book Server could be just the ticket. With it, IT administrators
can enable users to add contact information to a central repository that is
accessed and used by Mac computers and iPhones.
Further supporting group communications and collaboration, Apple updated
iCal Server in Snow Leopard Server. The calendaring component of Snow Leopard
Server now includes a Web-based calendar client that enables users to view and
update information over a variety of widely deployed browsers, including
Safari, Internet Explorer and Firefox. iCal Server 2 has also gained the
ability to push updates, including schedule changes and invitations, so that
users see the most up-to-date information.
My experience with setting up the Address Book and iCal server components
was similar to my experience with Snow Leopard Server in general: Setup of the
components was neatly integrated with central services, such as directory and
e-mail components. The Mac's clean user interface, made possible in large
part by controlling both the hardware and software platforms, ensured that
things "just worked." Technical Director Cameron Sturdevant
can be reached at csturdevant@eweek.com.

Cameron Sturdevant is the executive editor of Enterprise Networking Planet. Prior to ENP, Cameron was technical analyst at PCWeek Labs, starting in 1997. Cameron finished up as the eWEEK Labs Technical Director in 2012. Before his extensive labs tenure Cameron paid his IT dues working in technical support and sales engineering at a software publishing firm . Cameron also spent two years with a database development firm, integrating applications with mainframe legacy programs. Cameron's areas of expertise include virtual and physical IT infrastructure, cloud computing, enterprise networking and mobility. In addition to reviews, Cameron has covered monolithic enterprise management systems throughout their lifecycles, providing the eWEEK reader with all-important history and context. Cameron takes special care in cultivating his IT manager contacts, to ensure that his analysis is grounded in real-world concern. Follow Cameron on Twitter at csturdevant, or reach him by email at cameron.sturdevant@quinstreet.com.